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The floor of any home is its most attractive part. It is always subject to wear and damage. It constantly interacts with furniture, human feet, and other household utilities. Hence, the flooring must be easy to clean and resistant to damage.
Wood flooring is a classic choice for any home. It is relatively inexpensive, easy to install, and comes in a wide variety of colors and styles. Hardwood floors are also very durable, able to resist scratches, dents, and other types of damage. In addition, wood floors are easy to clean and maintain, making them a low-maintenance option for busy families.
For all these reasons, wood flooring is an excellent choice for any home. If you live around Kentucky, you might want to reach out to the best hardwood flooring Louisville experts, so you can easily get the right materials and installation services you need to achieve the best hardwood flooring possible.
With so many benefits, it is no wonder that hardwood floors are one of the most popular choices for flooring in homes today.
Timeless Hardwood Floor Styles
The use of hardwood in flooring dates back to the 16th century, during the Baroque Era. It advanced with several eras and became more popular with affluent aristocrats. With each culture came modifications to hardwood floors to fit preferences. Hence, the reason why there are so many hardwood choices available now.
Common wood types used for hardwood flooring include maple, oak, walnut tree, teak, and cork. Others include stinkingtoe, bamboo, and hickory. These each has unique characteristics that set them apart.
These wood types fit into the hardwood trends and become part of your home’s story. Some of these styles include:
Vintage Hardwood Flooring
Vintage floors are popular for their old and rustic look. It gives a home an elegant old look and adds to its warmth and beauty. Most vintage wooden floors are wear-resistant and easy to clean. They are also resistant to rot and need light polishing for a perfect finish.
There are two types of vintage wood flooring: reclaimed and modern.
Although they look similar, the reclaimed wood is old and vintage. The modern vintage wood is camouflage for old wood. The reclaimed wood is usually sterner and more durable than modern vintage wood. Yet, they both serve the purpose of aesthetic beauty.
You can get rustic or vintage hardwood from the renovation of old houses. This wood needs minimal finishing to look beautiful on your home’s floor.
Modern Hardwood Flooring
Modern vintage floors are imitation floors. Although costlier than standard floors, they are cheaper than reclaimed vintage.
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They undergo ‘distressing,’ which makes them look like rustic floors. Yet, they are prone to wear and have a unique pattern. This helps a trained eye to notice the mimicry.
Standard Hardwood Flooring
The standard hardwood floors are usually thick and solid timber. The hardwood processing companies flatten these planks to reduce contraction and expansion cycles. It is standard practice to layer two plywood pieces to create a solid hardwood floor.
The installation of standard solid wood floors needs expertise and finishing.
You can choose prefinished wood floors or finish after floor installment. This improves the glow of your hardwood floor and adds to its aesthetics.
New Hardwood Flooring Trends
If you are looking to refurbish your home or get new floors, here are some ideas for you:
Grey Floor Tones
A recent hardwood floor trend is the application of grey color tones on your floor.
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It fits well with any decor and gives your home a warm and inviting look. It also looks beautiful with age, and you can worry less about cleaning.
The best choice of wood for this tone is smoked oak. The grain patterns appear beautiful and rustic. It will blend in with the Victorian interior decor and is perfect for modern styles.
Unfinished Looks
Another common trend is using the wood’s natural color to create an unfinished look. As a result, it looks primitive and regal, giving your home a look of royalty and class. Select the tones that suit you, from the dark woods such as walnuts to lighter tones such as pine floors.
Natural tones maintain a rustic flooring appearance that suggests affluence in basic styles. The flooring changes the interior’s general feel and reduces the decor task.
Light Floor Tones
A hardwood floor tone would give the impression that your home is a pleasant place. This makes the house welcoming and warm. It also has the advantage of brightening your mood after a tiresome day.
Light floor tones are flexible and can match with pre-existing home décor or any of your décor of choice.
Most hardwood types adopt light tone finishing well.
Vintage Hardwood Patterns
This is like the modern vintage hardwood flooring. The planks go through a chemical process that roughens them up. Depending on the customer’s preference, the floor can undergo various degrees of roughening.
Also, the process includes the addition of dark stains. This further improves the rustic flooring appearance. Some companies go on to add intentional dents to the planks.
Engineered Hardwood Styles
The engineered hardwood trend is becoming a popular flooring technique.
This involves the use of artificial materials as a base for the plank. Then the manufacturer adds a thin layer of hardwood as the top. This gives a false thick hardwood appearance to the floor.
This is like the vintage solid wood flooring and looks beautiful without finishing. It is also a durable and rot-resistant flooring type.
Trendy Floor Finishes
Floor finishes refine the look of hardwood floors. Finishes range from matte and satin to gloss.
Oak woods look beautiful with a simple gloss and will appear as vintage flooring.
Satin finishing is more subtle and never goes out of style. It makes the flooring look natural and does not need high maintenance.
Matte finishing is beautiful and rich, giving your home and decor a regal look.
Fun Fact
Other forms of flooring in homes are leather, glass, carpets, wool, stones, and plastic. These have adverse effects on health and safety and may harbor toxic materials.
So, apart from aesthetics, hardwood floors help keep you safe and healthy.
Conclusion
Floors, doors, railings, and furniture should complement each other. This brings out the best aesthetics of your home. You should always seek professional help when you want to renovate or redecorate. This helps you make accurate furniture and decor choices at the best possible rates. A professional would also be available to answer any questions or concerns.
If you are considering updating your flooring this year, wood flooring should be at the top of your list. With so many different styles and options to choose from, there is a perfect wood floor for every home. And thanks to the latest trends in wood flooring, you can give your home an instant makeover that is sure to impress guests and add value to your property.
So what are you waiting for? Start browsing today and find the perfect wood floors for your home.
